Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-27

Widow Not Heretofore Correctly Repre-
the Bath-Use of Oil.
One of my newspapers lately contained
short article from The London Standard, en-
titled 'Hiudoo Child Marriage" 1t described
as pitiable the lifelong state of the Hmdoo
widow, who had never been more than
bride, her some years nominal husband hav-
ing died when she was little girl A Bengali
of Calcutta, university graduate. and
wealthy member of Snrlety, on reading il says
that IT Is strongly put, and moreover applies
to a condition many years passed by: that
the Hindoo widow as apart and accursed,
her hair short or shaved wholly, in coarse
and often squalid garments her instincts
starved into Inaniticn by constant fasts, a
silent. Stunned, stiff, di+fiCured object, and
often hideously bald, forbidden all hope of
Joy, has some foundation, bnt it is intensi-
fled, exaggerated, Of even her condition fifty
years ago.
She fa~ts frequently, at stated days She
wears no colorS, but that makes little differ
ence, as the present mode in Bengal dresses
every lady OF respectable rank i'll white, *
cept that on the edge of her two wrappings
there is narrow line, gold, pink, crimson,
etc, the widows robe being only distinguished
ly the absence of that outer line or thread Of
color. She becomes interested in the children
around her in the house. She is often
fayorite, and she has a busy and useful place
i'll the Hindoo family.
THE MOTHERS RULE.
A
barely by saving, They have liberty" as
contrasted to the restrictions and the obedient
condition of wifely women. So long, how
ever, as the sons mother lives the widow is
snbservient. Sons stay at home, living with
the parents. Daughters thus leave their own
parents as soon as they are old enough to take
the position of wives, the matrimonial VOWS
and obligations having been made in child
hood
The oldest mother IN the household con
tinues to be the highest social monarch in the
honse-the despotIc dictator, 10 whom all the
family conventionally pays crremonious def
erence
This Bengali gentleman, ~ wears old and
the father of six children, from the prompt
ings of happy experience gave a glowing
- "l''f 'ti0 ii''""' ~ i''i y aieii 'io
iii.iu'" pan naNihs oeeii seieclen 10y aduiU
Ju"sliien' p'si'l ''l'aiiltaices Us piat iilltes
gro" INTO irlehus' iipeii INTO lovers ana be
c"i'Ie' aS tney were iitues'iiien' cohsorts' III
IS 'a9e ~ Which the course OF true 'oVe
i''ii9 Si'"ol''' ant. ne to'is'u'Is 1t ihost 10
n''''to ~, Ta' ne ''lis me 'ha' '.e no'''e
i. u "o','en Nus io'iiits III
t"N' Vi :, n''' '"i' 1t - very
III .n' an u, '''h' A''iiA e"'1 i'i''i hii's
the management of the httl. ones and in pro-
vision for the comfort aud the food of all.
fluus duties and tine baths, two never neg
lected items, occupy mo insignificant portion
| Of the day. This mother, a lady of IS years,
fasts often because she is widow; has
bathed twice day all her lie and is in ex-
| cellent health The usual bath. whether in a
stream or in the house, is merely pouring
| of water over and over the body, mostly on
tile shoulders. ANY other sort Of washing of
the person they don't seem TO consider "a
bath"
oILING THEIR BABIES.
Oil has fluent part in the oriental toilet,
Mothers are fond of oilipp their babies com.